The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-10-23
GOSSIP OF THE BALL FIELD.
WHAT oUR CLUBs NAVE DONE DURING
THE PAST SEASON.

The Dase Daii Crnnk IN hts 0Iovy-The As-
. sseiaties DretherheeA Lseustrr Up-Csn-
psriss the Cheaptes Ciuss-The nuot for
Xesns riayers-Nsws fren Everywhere.
Stand near the entrance Of any great ball
grounds. similar TO that OF this city, and one
viii zee the greatest variety Of nature to be
seen anywhere IN the world. Nlne.tenths OF
all the spectators who 20 to the game can DO
put down IN the long line Of humanity as base
bail cranks. At any Of our games you will SOC
the base ban crank In all his glory, from the
street Arab who looks through the hole In the
fsnce to the broker who leasea his box for the
season. He 10 umpire. spectator. and ball
player all In one. The remarks which no
makes during tho game show to what an ex-
tent no 10 Interested. n his club plays poorly.
be II quito sure that they did II on purpose,
and that they did not want to win. IL ball 10
fumbled, he threatens to 60 down and show
the player how to play ball. At one moment
he 10 filed with disgust ct the work OF o player,
and whom that sanae Mayer makes a safe hit.
even n It 10 the next moment, the crank jumps
10 his feet and yells Ike . mailman, and Ii
sven willing to bot hat that this same player.
Who was no good moment before. IL the best
ball player In the country.
II am what they call base ball crank"
said wsll-known Polo Ground attendant yes
tertlay, land soc no reason Of being ashamed
of the name. whenever can force myself TO
spend an afternoon 20 to the ball game The
number OF base ball cranks In this city is not
known, but Il IL safe to say that they would
MI o good sized stand BY themselves. The
base ball crank will get the seat nearest to
his favorite player. and with score card In
hand he win tally the base hits and errors with
the proficiency that comes only from long
practice. Take such men a. De Wolf Hopper
and Digby Bell; they would rather see good
bali game than eat Look at the brokers box
u tho Polo grounds. Tho same faces are
there nom spring to fall"
The poor base ball crank is the bother Of all
base ball managera He always wants to 20 in
20 zee one Of tho players or he 10 friend Of
some politician. There are thousand differ
emit ways In which he viii try to get into the
grounds. II he cannot got In he viii spend
whole hour cutting = hole through the fence
that he may see the game.
A well-known attendant at the Polo grounds
has this to say Of himself: II am base ball
erank with . big Z. When can't 60 to game
an lost. and It Ia no use for me to try to work.
rush out to the stock ticker every few min
utes to zee how tho game stands. ! never
think Of going home for my dinner until can
est copy of The EvsN1No Sun and read about
the game" With this he dived into the nearest
saloon and rushed up to the ticker. Hello"
said he, "another run. Well. I wonder who
made II. Gosh. why couldn't have seen that
game There goes another run. Wonder II the
ball was muffed or fumbled." In this way he will
keep on for an hour. and then dash on to do
some work. only to return In a few minutes.
Down near the front Of the grand stand at
the Brooklyn grounds. at every game Is seated
Q genuine base ball crank. He always has q
large book open on his knees and several fne-
ly sharpened pencils IN his hands He not only
scores tho game, but jots down the condition
Of the weather. the direction Of the wind. the
rate 1t ID blowing ct, as near as he can tell and
the attendance.
The lady base ball cranks arc the most
amusing Of any: they know all about the
game. but always persist in asking tho mean
ing Of each play. and keep those around them
busy answering questions
~ THE ASSOCIATION BROTHERHOOD,
Little has been heard OF the American Asso-
citation Brotherhood Of Ball Players lately, hut
the organization has been growing rema lab y
since The Sun first brought out he fac hat
there was such albrotherhood. At that time it
was very small affair. but n ow the players Of
nearly every Association club are members.
Eleven Of the Brooklyn players Joined the Or
gsnization not long ago. and about all the
Metropolitan players arc members. The St
Louis, Louisville. Baltimore. and Athletic
Clubs are all well represented in the organize
ton. In fact. a. one of tho Brooklyn players
said. these clubs Joined in body. The Cincin-
natl and Cleveland Clubs have but few repre-
sentatives in the Brotherhood as yet. butthey
are expected to be heard from before long.
Some OF the players hesitate about joining
on account Of being afraid Of the managers.
Tho Brotherhood will work on the same lines
- tho League Brotherhood works. and In Time
the two organizations will have mutual I'M
Outstanding whereby they will work together
for each others protection,
THE NEW BRooKLYN CLUB.
"WM the Metropolitan players strengthen
tho Brooklyn Club~ is q question which Is
heard every day The answer is short-they
viii not, for the ono reason, both teams have
been weak In the Same place. They have not
had pitchers. Terry has been about the only
man that Brooklyn could depend on. while
Mays can DO said to be the only man that the
Netropolitsns had who cocld pitch ball. OF
course Maya win be an acquisition to the club.
but then the two mon will be unable to hold
their own against their opponents. Notlong ago
put this was denied. Now that the old managers
have nothing 70 DO with the club. they do not
81 psss esusg tie Da8s
Orr was asked early In the season to resign
the captaincy on account Of III feeling among
the players II was not hard thing for Dave
70 do "a he did not care much for the glory.
This Same trouble Is predicted for the Brook
Gother. but 1t Ii very doubtful A man with an
Iron will may get work out Of them. but such a
and that u Mr. Byrns win not take the respon.
ability OF managing the team another season.
He seems to have had enough Of 1t.
AFTER YOUNG PLAYERS.
Just at the present time, agents for about all
the clubs OF the League and American Assoc
citation are on the read bunting playing talent
men to make up two clubs. Boston wants two
mon, one an outhelder, presumably In Hor-
nung's place. and the other Q catcher. The
Athletics need pitcher and short stop. Balti-
more one right-handed pitcher and one In
{ieldor. and Indianapolis and the Brooklyn
Meta combination want as many good men as
shsY Gan gst. Cincinnati wants one pitcher.
though Cleveland. Washington. and Pitts
burgh wants about four new men each. ,Sala-
Hes ere bound to 60 up, and several clubs are
sure not to get what they want The young
blood craze continued, and many good base
ball men are reaching for youngsters to .fll the
places Of old players who are yet very valuable.
The Northwestern League is being raided for
players moro than any other OF the minor Or
RnnfzatiOn1 This La because of n number of